When I was a child my favorite thing to play was "work." I loved to play work. It was, really, my favorite thing to do. And, I "worked" a lot of different places, too.

I had my own library.

I became a lawyer who wrote down pages and pages of notes about my cases.

I owned storefronts with dolls and animals for sale.

And, of course, I hosted a good-many lemonade stands.

Looking back, I can see there was one thing I loved about work: the exhilarating feeling of accomplishment.

Playing work allowed me to expand upon my interests.

Playing work allowed me to make an impact.

Playing work put me in my "flow state."

Flow is described by Mihaly Csiksgentmihalyi as "the mental state of operation in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity."

Work as play makes sense when you are using your talents and making an impact.

Work as play makes sense when you are a part of a community of people who are working with you towards a common goal.

What would you have to believe in order for work to be one of YOUR favorite things?